


He Writes The Lyrics of my Heart

by XxMusicxKelseyxX



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-11-13 08:52:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11181291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxMusicxKelseyxX/pseuds/XxMusicxKelseyxX
Summary: Betty Cooper is in love with the lyrics of neighbor-turned-famous-musician Archie Andrews, but he might not be the song writer. What will Betty think when she meets the poet behind the success?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on ao3 so please be gentle. I'm more comfortable with ff.net and Tumblr but I wanted to do something different.

The wind whirled through my hair as we sped down the road. My best friend, V, turned a sharp corner and I screamed, turning up the music. Summer had just begun and we were finally getting our first taste of freedom. Of as much freedom as one could get with a controlling and demanding mother like mine.

Alice Cooper, my mother, was micromanager extraordinaire. I felt like Rapunzel, locked away in a tower by Mother Gothel, but my older sister Polly Cooper always managed to find a way to sidestep our mother's tendencies. It was a skill I was extremely envious of. When I was three, we got new neighbors, Fred and Mary Andrews with their young son Archie Andrews. My mother hated that gingery little boy from the get go and forbid me from ever speaking to him. On top of that, I'm fairly certain she sent us to private school so I wouldn't have classes with him either. He was at Riverdale High. I was at Riverdale Elite.

He hadn't been home in a while, though, so Mom was a bit more relaxed. Archie Andrews started a band and became an opening act for Riverdale's own Josie and the Pussycats before some talent scout scooped him up and released his first album. Now he was a top 20 on the radio kind of guy. At this moment they were using his song Turbo Love in adverts for some new movie about cars. I personally preferred his song Hitchcock Blonde but clearly I was biased. Being his neighbor, I kind of hoped it was about me, as silly as that sounds.

I pushed in my CD, skipped to the song and pressed play.

_You there with the blonde hair and the pretty eyes. Fill me with nonsense and tell me some lies. Hanging out with that girl I despise but I won't take her from you, no I won't take her from you. You're a Hitchcock Blonde and I'm coming for you. Gonna save the world with a drink or two. If you like this song I probably wrote it for you, because blonde girl baby I am crazy for you._

I was belting it out as loud as I could at 70mph, my hair flying every which way. I loved Veronica Lodge's sleek purple convertible. She laughed at me but there was something mischievous in her eyes and she lightly bit her lip.

"Okay I can't keep it a secret anymore. I have a surprise for you, Betty." She reached into her bag with her free hand and passed me two tickets. They were for the general admission Archie Andrews show in Greendale since we didn't have a big enough venue to host him in his own hometown anymore.

I felt a knot in my stomach. I wanted to go, so so badly, but never in hell would Over-Protective Alice Cooper ever let me, Betty Cooper, go. I swear I could have cried.

There was a rest stop on the right so we pulled over and she put her hand on my shoulder. "Betty, I already know about Alice. I wouldn't have done this if I didn't have a plan already. My mom agreed to cover for us and say we're having a sleepover. You don't have to feel like it's much of a lie since you'll come home with me afterwards anyways. Can't have you go home with that post-concert look, your mom would absolutely blow a gasket!" I lightly smiled up at her, nerves dissipating.

"You're the best, 'Ron." I grabbed her hand.

"Don't I know it!" She winked at me and drove back onto the road, heading due north to Lodge Manor.

Agreeing went against my better judgement but I really wanted to go. If my mother ever found out, there would be hell to pay, but it was a risk I was willing to take. Those lyrics meant a lot to me and they really helped nativate some troubled waters in my disrupted home life, plus I just needed to get away from all the yelling.


	2. Archie Andrews Stage Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> B&V attend Archie's concert and meet some new people.

Time went by fairly fast as I waited for the day on my phone to match the date on the concert pass. Finally it had come and we were getting ready at Ronnie's place. She wore this little black dress that had purple undertones and her classic pearl necklace while I wore this golden yellow dress that reminded me a bit of the new Beauty and the Beast movie. Veronica gave herself a purple and grey smokey eye and then proceeded to cover my eyes in like five different shades of gold, effortlessly blending them in and setting them with a spray. I would have been just as happy in jeans and a tshirt, especially without my mom breathing down my neck about image and looking presentable, but Veronica lived for an excuse to get dolled up and there was no escape for me.

Smithers drove us in the lodge limousine which I only ever let Veronica talk me into riding in for special occasions. I was meeting my cute neighbor with the great songs, so this qualified. I felt like a princess with my best girl friend latching onto my arm as we strolled over to the entrance. We had backstage VIP passes.

Of the handful of people back here, we noticed Cheryl Blossom who thought she owned the world which clearly clashed with Veronica who was not beneath anyone. Behind Cheryl was an older guy in plaid and hidden in the back was a crown-shaped beanie. Valerie Brown was also there. I tried to date her brother Trev once but it just didn't work out so that felt awkward.

There was some obscure opening band and then Archie came on with his mixer and his acoustic guitar. The older man from earlier started yelling "That's my boy!" It then hit me that he was my neighbor Fred Andrews. He must have noticed me staring as he glanced over and started talking.

"Oh hey Betty, nice to finally meet you after all these years." It felt like the twilight zone or something. I had seen this man come and go for nearly a decade and a half and this was the first time either of us had every said anything to the other. "I'm Fred. You came to see Archie, right? Isn't it wonderful? I know you go to Elite but Archie really flourished in the music program at Riverdale. He's been doing correspondence during the year to keep up since he hit it big but his teacher said it would be a shame if he didn't at least try with his music. Makes me really proud."

I just stood there in silence as he talked and I let the stories and the lyrics wash over me. Archie knew we were all here and when he started playing Hitchcock Blonde, he kept glancing over. I could have swore he was looking at me, and he even winked. I heard some rumbling from further back and I could no longer make out the beanie from our small cluster. He must have left.

Andrews ended the set with I'll Try which was emotionally moving and Veronica yelled "swoon". Upon leaving the stage he immediately came up to us.

"Hey, you're my neighbor, right?"

"Yeah, Betty Cooper, locked in a tower away from all the dangerous boys. Nice to finally meet you." I held out my hand and he shook it with a big smile that seemed to scream Archie Andrews. I would know because while we were banned from associating, his bedroom did happen to be across from mine and I would sometimes find comfort in the weird way I would stare at him out the window and how normal his life appeared at the time.

"And whose your friend?" Oh god. This is it. Almost any guy who had ever shown an interest in me was either using me to get to V or liked me but became a puddle once in her presence.

"Veronica Lodge, Betty's best friend. Nice to formally meet you. I may or may not have seen you a few times from Betty's window." I elbowed her. Nobody was supposed to know that I could see him from my window. It was my embarrassing secret! Archie blushed.

He scratched his head nervously. "Did the two of you want to get coffee tomorrow? I'll be in Riverdale so it doesn't have to be here."

"Sure but it will have to be on the north side so Alice's spies don't report back to her. She doesn't even know Betty is here." Veronica was always the planner.

"That woman really does not like me."

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "That's the understatement of the year. I don't even k ow how you did it at a mere three years old. Maybe my family just has a blood feud. We have a few of those. I managed to end the one we had with Ronnie's family when we first became besties, but that is an impressive feat."

Veronica and Archie exchanged contact info and I looked around. I'm not sure who I was searching for, but they must not have been there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a second chapter because they're both short. Mostly context, I think.


	3. Coffee Shop Soundtrack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ronnie and Betty go to meet up with Archie, he brings a brooding friend with him.

I didn't look nearly the mess Veronica had suggested I'd be when we got back to her place. I wiped the makeup off my face and quickly changed into some pj shorts and a tank top, crashing in Ron's ridiculously large bed. She was texting someone I'd assume to be Archie as I quickly passed on to la la land. Normally I had a hard time sleeping but it had been a busy day.

I woke up to a maid handing me a green tea. V clearly asked for them to get one for me. We had eggs Benedict and discussed if it would be safer to meet with Archie on the Southside or the Northside. The Northside was too much more for Alice to afford, but the Southside would stain her reputation too much. We decided on the latter and Archie said that actually worked better for him for some reason. Definitely wasn't the distance since I knew he lived next to my mom. I texted her to let her know Ron and I were having a girls day today.

We would have taken the convertible but that side of town had a bad reputation and we didn't want it to get stolen or otherwise damaged. We decided on the towncar since it was less conspicuous. The coffee stop was simply named Joe's and I wondered if that was for the coffee or the owner.

When we walked in, a bell chimed alerting the barista to our presence. There at the far table was Archie, and beside him with his back turned was the kid with the crown hat from last night. Arch waved us over and I sat down while Veronica offered to get our drinks.

"If I knew they were coming, I wouldn't have agreed to meet you here." Beanie's voice was thick was annoyance.

"See and that's why I didn't tell you. Anyways, this is Jughead Jones." Archie introduced us, clearly the more social of the two.

"Betty Cooper." I held out my hand. He looked at it and then back to me, his gaze critical.

"I know who you are."

There was a lump in my throats and I wanted to say something but then V returned.

"I got the a mocha. Apparently they don't do espresso or macchiato or anything classy in here so I settled. I got you a hot chocolate."

Jughead let out a hard laugh. "This is the Southside. Snake territory doesn't typically come with all the fancy perks like expensive coffee. We live too close to the poverty line to waste $10 on a frivolous drink."

Veronica spat her coffee out at him. "Excuse me, I didn't realize we were on a coffee date with jader-r-us! You're lucky I don't smack you with my Louis Vuitton bag!" The two glared across the table, classic case of class struggle.

"So Betty, what do you want to do after you graduate?" Archie strategically broke the tension.

"I want to go to University. My mom thinks Ivy League all the way even though we're only suburban middle class through and through, so I'll probably apply to Columbia. Veronica Lodge, who forgot to introduce herself, wants to go to FIT which is also in New York so we can stay in her parents condo they own there."

"Now it makes sense. Lodge like Lodge Industries. So it's you who has all the luxuries and Betty just happens to soak in it a bit on accident."

"Why is he even here?" Veronica hissed at Archie.

"He gets better once you get to know him or maybe you just get used to him. He's my best friend and he writes my songs for me."

I swallowed hard on the hot chocolate I was drinking. "So he wrote Hitchcock Blonde?" Archie nodded.

"Don't be so conceited. You're hardly the only blondie in the world." Archie smacked him on the back. "Anyways, I'm out of here." He grabbed his leather jacket and took off.

"What is his problem?"

"He likes a girl but he doesn't want to like her. You can hear it in my songs. Anyways, he's also been having serious writer's block so that adds an extra layer of frustration."

"For writing songs?"

"Yeah but also his novel. He writes lyrics as a favor to me. And don't buy that anti-gentrification talk. He may have grown up poor but I pay him now."

"He writes? What a coincidence! Betty loves to write! Her parents own Riverdale's paper, but she doesn't agree with how they let bias get in the way of the news. I'm hoping she'll rise up and take it over on them some day."

There was something irritating about being the subject of conversation but also being seemingly invisible.

"That's amazing! She should meet up with him and get him out of his funk. Maybe they can even do a duet. I think it's time I did one of those for my next album."

"I'm still here, by the way."

"Oh right." He scribbled a number and handed it to me. "Call or text and tell him I won't take no for an answer."


	4. Can't Text Me That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Using the number Archie gave her, Betty tries to text Jughead and get to know him so they can write together.

I spent all night agonizing over it. I mean, my mom only banned me from talking to Archie so I wasn't breaking a rule or anything, right? Archie practically demanded that I do it but I was nervous. He didn't seem to like me _at all_.

I typed out a message and before I could overthink it I quickly pressed send and squeezed my eyes shut. I almost immediately felt a buzz as my phone went off.

J: who the hell is this?

I bit my lip. _Crap, I forgot to include my name._ I was more of a well thought out person, a trait passed on through my mother, but I knew it had to be spontaneous if I was going to avoid psyching myself out.

Me: oh sorry it's Betty from earlier. Archie demanded I text you. He said I could help with your writer's block?

J: he's a jackass. I don't need help. He's just impatient. Art takes time.

Me: sometimes. I once wrote a book in a week and a half.

J: what about, vampire fiction? Angst teenage romance?

Me: I can't tell if you're teasing or not. And fyi it was a story about a greaser who was put on trial for murder and arson. While I don't think there's anything your with vampire fiction or angst, I do prefer a good plot.

J: ...

J: can I read it

I bit my lip. Nobody had ever read my work before, not even Veronica. It's not like it was a personal story but it _felt_ personal.

Me: ask me tomorrow. Eventually I'll say yes. Also I think your boy wants us to write a duet for him and Veronica to sing, based on the heart eyes he was giving her.

I tried to sound neutral and I was happy for my friend, but I was definitely jealous. I mean, is had been crushing on my neighbor for as long as I could remember and I thought maybe we were meant to be. Forbidden romance and all that.

J: and how are you taking that?

Me: what do you mean.

J: I could tell by your eyes that you were disappointed that I wrote Hitchcock Blonde and just the general way you looked at him. It was gross.

Me: hey don't be rude! We're third wheeling them together, no need to be mean.

I waited a few minutes but he didn't respond.

Me: so why does Archie sing your songs?

J: I'm shit at singing. This isn't the Disney channel, I don't need a music career. But he found something I wrote on my math notes and stole it so here we are. Now drop it.

Me: ...ok. Alright, so favourite movie?

J: you have a fav movie? That's dumb. There are too many to choose. I can't even pick a favorite director.

Me: It might be dumb but mine is Legally Blonde. She was a lot smarter than people assumed she was.

J: Blonde thing I'm guessing?

Me: pretty much. Alright so just list a few then.

He was quiet for a few minutes but I was less concerned because I knew it could require thought

J: I'm a sucker for classics. Tarantino movies are also pretty good. Things based of Capote's books.

Before I could stop myself I sent another message.

Me: gentlemen prefer blondes is a classic

J: do you have a hang up over your hair color or something?

Me: do you? You wrote a song about it

J: and it was a huge mistake. Blondes are nothing but trouble.

Me: and me?

J: you're the biggest trouble of them all. Look, can we just meet up tomorrow? I'm tired and you're making my thumbs sore.

_Yes_! I don't know why but I was excited about the prospects of meeting up. Despite him moody exterior, he was funny and he made good company. Maybe being third wheel buddies wouldn't be so bad.

We agreed to meet at Pop's for breakfast, because I'm "too eager and would just text at that time anyways".

By the time I got there he had both a breakfast sandwich and a burger on his plate and he was still perusing the menu in his hands. He didn't even notice as I slid across from him into the booth.

"Hey Moritz Stiefel."

"And that makes you who, Ilsa?"

"Maybe."

He scoffed. "In another world, perhaps. Besides, those two were childhood best friends, and I know I look dark but I'm not exactly auicidal. This isn't Dead Poet's Society. This is real life, gritty and all so we better all get used to it."

He passed me the menu and I ordered a strawberry milkshake. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"What, I always get a strawberry milkshake at Pop's. Plus my mom already micromanaged my breakfast. Fat free yoghurt with fruit and granola."

"You're not as bad as I thought you'd be, Betty. You didn't seem the type to enjoy something as dark as Spring Awakening."

"It's realistic, and that's what makes it beautiful. Everyone is so obsessed with sticking their heads in the sand but I'm a pursuer of truth."

"Alright, _Wonder Woman_."

"Like what happened with Blondie? Is she your ex?"

"No. She barely knows I exist and if I had my way she never would have met me. Romantic interests complicate things, just look at what it's done to Archie!" I blinked at him. _Really?_ "Oh right, private school. Archie was really fickle before he got on the road. He dated a bunch of people and couldn't seem to make up his mind. It was agonizing to watch and I promised I'd never put myself through that, feelings be damned. Now drop it."

"But you can't help how you-"

"I said drop it, Elizabeth."

Okay, how did he know my name was Elizabeth? It weirded me out and he went mute, but I felt pretty dumb later since Betty was obviously a nickname for Elizabeth, albeit less common.

"You're a good guy, Juggie. Whoever she is, she's missing out." He gave me a look that bordered between a glare and softness.

"I won't talk about it but I can use it to help write this dumb duet. Throw me a line, Betts."


	5. Let's Get Down to Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and Betty try to write lyrics, go to her place, and end up just having some goofy fun.

I could see what he meant about writer's block. Song lyrics are a whole different ballgame. Apparently "throw me a line" did not inspire me enough to inspire him. I think I ended up with some lyrics from Adam's Song by Blink 182.

He was smashing his head off the wall with how hopeless I was.

"If anything, you're just making it worse, not better. I should have known, Archie was never the smart one."

I started to nervously chew on the lid of my pen, something my mother would have swatted me for if she saw it. "Maybe we should sing some songs to get inspired?"

"I don't sing. It's happy birthday once a year for my sister and that is as far as I go."

"You have a sister?"

Silence. Not the awkward kind but the kind where you wish you wouldn't have said anything. My mouth went dry and I desperately grabbed at a glass is water that was given to me earlier.

"Yeah but I haven't seen her in years and I barely even get to talk to her on the phone. It's not exactly something I like to talk about."

"You know, my family is silly. We're journalists, but some of the biggest stories are hidden from view, because they're our own. I have a diary, and a year back I found out I got that from my mom. I picked a lock from a box in our attic and inside was my mom's old ones. The last entry was about her regretting giving up her son, Chic Cooper. I tried looking for him, I mean how many people named Chic are out there? But I couldn't find him. He might not even go by Chic anymore, let alone Cooper. So I'm not going to pity you. I wouldn't want that and I don't think you'd want that, but you shared with me so I thought I'd share with you. They aren't anywhere near the same, but it's close enough that I feel like I understand."

I covered his hand with mine and his eyes, always hard like jagged rocks, finally softened a bit.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Anyways we can go somewhere more private if that will help."

"It'd have to be your place since you're not allowed over at Mr Andrew's and I've been staying there while my parents are away."

I bit my lip. He wasn't Archie by any means but my mom still didn't like the idea of me spending time with boys. Plus, this particular boy was judgmental and would probably scoff at the over abundance of pink in my typicall girly room. I sighed and nodded, not entirely sure why I signed up for this. I guess I was just a sucker. I'm Betty Cooper, and I aim to please.

I went to pay but he stepped in front of me and put some cash down.

"I'm billing Archie since it's his dumb idea, don't read into it."

The walk home was quiet and uneventful, but extremely awkward. I think at one point Jughead kicked a rock.

"Mee-maw, I'm back and I brought a friend. I hope that's okay." She stepped out of the kitchen and froze.

"You're FP's son, right?"

He looked down nervously. "Yeah. I go by Jughead."

"You two run upstairs and I'll cover for you." It wasn't said, but I felt she had implied it. _Hal would not be happy_. I couldn't help but wonder why.

We were quickly yet quietly rushed upstairs and my mother closed the door behind us. This was a surprising departure from the norm as she was usually a dragon when it came to boys.

"Wow so much-"

"Pink, right? I've been trying to change it here and there but my mother doesn't really approve. It's like she wants us to not only wear a mask to hide our flaws, but live in it too. I like pink, but not _this_ much. It's like cotton candy in here."

"Betty, really, it's not that pink. It's just weird for me, is all. Only girl's bedroom I've ever been in is my kid sister's and that had movie posters and toys everywhere."

As with the usual awkwardness that seemed to accompany me lately, we had a prolonged moment of silence before I clapped my hands together like closing a book.

“Let’s get down to business!” God I am such a dork. I grabbed two notebooks from my closet and handed one off to him. “What kind of stuff inspires you normally?”

“Well, it started with me trying to expel the feelings from my soul, but it didn't seem to do the trick. I still feel, like, everything. Since I know it doesn't work, it's made channeling those dumb emotions much harder.” He looked at the ceiling, with a pensive face.

“Well what do you feel right now?” I plopped down on the edge of my bed and he sat backwards on the chair at my makeup desk. He closed his eyes.

“Nothing, nothing at all. You suck at being inspiring.” I stuck my tongue out at him, not caring if he saw or not. Suddenly an idea hit.

“Well, let’s do something fun and see if that helps!” I grabbed my laptop and typed “Allstar by Smashmouth” into Youtube’s search engine. “This song has a bit of feels but is otherwise just fun! Sing with me, won't you?”

He sighed.

“It doesn't look like I have much of a choice. Alright, click play before I change my mind, and you're not allowed to tell anyone ever. Not even Veronica or Archie.”

I couldn't help myself, I grinned like a Cheshire Cat. He just rolled his eyes at me, but I clicked the red triangle anyways.

“SomeBODY once told me the world was gonna roll me. I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed!” I yelled and was singing entirely off key, but I was having a great time. After putting my fingers in the shape of an L on Jughead’s forehead, he finally started getting into it.

“Hey now, you're an all star, get your game on, go plaaaay. Hey now, you're a rockstar, get the show on get paiiid. Not all that glitters is gold. Only shooting stars break the mooooold!” I giggled into my hairbrush microphone.

It ended sooner rather than later. “See? That wasn't so bad. Polly used to love Shrek when we were younger. You're lucky I didn't play the My Hairbrush from Veggietales that we watched during my mom’s hardcore Christian phase.”

I was laughing and I looked over. He looked so happy, and he was looking at me. Maybe he didn't dislike me as much as he tried to let on. I liked this Jughead Jones. He left his baggage on the floor and just had fun with a friend, even if we weren't productive that day. We could always try again next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to avenuepotter on tumblr for helping me finish this chapter.


	6. Lip Bites and Love Songs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a week of busy schedules, the duo meet for part two of song writing. Despite having all that time to prepare, neither have anything good to share and another musical interlude is tried. This time it is a duet to set the tone.

I hadn't seen him in a week. If he wasn't busy, then I was. Scheduling was a nightmare. I made a note to ask him what he was up to that made him so impossible to hang out with.

In the time it took me to secure another writing meeting, Archie had two dates with Veronica and was leaving for the second part of his Summer tour.

I got an indent in my lip from biting it so much. I was nervous. Did I do something wrong? Was he just making up excuses so he wouldn't have to spend time with me? I thought we made progress from him hating me. I sighed as I wrote another entry into my diary and hid it away in my dresser.

While he was busy ignoring me, I felt haunted by the ghost of his presence in my room. Silky black hair, blue eyes, that dorky hat, and those bowed lips that smiled so well. I couldn't get them out of my head.

When we finally met again, dad was away at a business chamber meeting so we decided to have lunch at my place and then go write in my room. My mom played the host but she was short with him, reigniting my previous curiousity for her connection to the guy. Again I brushed it off.

I followed him to my room.

"Less pink this time," he noted.

"I thought you might like it better, make it less weird for you."

He turned around. "Don't. It suites you. Don't change for me." Naturally, I flushed a bright pink, overcompensating to its missing presence in the room.

I took out one of my books and set it down in front of me on the bed.

"He was the best thing that happened to me, moving along to chapter three, when things get interesting and our story begins. Life changed the moment I met you, no matter what I won't ever forget you... What do you think?"

"It's cute... but also too rhyme-y, like an elementary school poem. Also you can't rhyme you with you."

I felt so embarrassed. I never was good with constructive criticism. It was very hard for people to point out my flaws when my mother pushed so hard for me to be perfect. This was my first song and I was previously proud of it. I wouldn't let him know that, though.

"Alright, well what do you have then, music critic?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "Nope. Nothing."

"See? So you have no leg to stand on! That means another inspirational song. Let's try a duet this time to set the tone. I'll even let you choose."

"Sweet, I choose-"

"Choose between Another Heart Calls by All American Rejects or If It Means a Lot to You by A Day to Remember." I smirked at him. Again he sighed.

"Another Heart Calls, I guess. If It Means a Lot to You is too emotional. At least in the other one they don't get together." I rolled my eyes.

"Dang, what did that girl do to you." He glared at me and I threw my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, touchy subject."

I took my laptop from my bag and found an instrumental version of the song. I quickly pressed play. We sang but certain words stuck out in the clutter.

"I know what you want is to figure it out, god knows I do too."

"I'll never ask for anyone but you."

I'll Be There When the Wind Blows began to play, as it was the next track on the AAR playlist. I quickly reached over to pause it before it got to the chorus.

I looked over and he looked like some sort of tortured artist, head pointed towards the ceiling but eyes closed. "Are you inspired?" I whispered so as not to break his concentration.

"Lips that kiss, I can see you from the window sill. You're not like I thought, but you're everything I need and more." He swore under his breath. "That's all I've got. I don't think I'll be productive after that, though, so I'll just get going."

He got up to leave and before I knew what I was doing, my hand reached out and clasped his arm. "Wait."

"Look Betty, we wasted a lot of time earlier so your dad will be home soon anyways."

"Message me tonight?" I sounded a lot more desperate than I had meant to. He gave me a curt nod and left. It only took him fives minutes before before he texted me that he got "home" safe.

I asked him what he was doing tonight. He said there was a new episode of some TV show he liked on in a few hours so we played twenty questions until it came on and we watched it together; not physically, but at the same time while texting.

He told me I was funny.

We talked about growing up with sisters and he said he was probably better at braiding hair than me. His favorite colour was blue but he always told people in was gray. His mother once tried to feed him squab and it was one of the few foods he was repulsed by simply because of how it looked. He used to be afraid of the dark, just like me, but he put on a brave face for his sister Jellybean like Polly did with me. He had literally been friends with Archie his whole life, since their dads were like brothers. He felt the same was about Archie as his dad FP used to feel about Fred Andrews.

Next thing I knew, it was 4am and here I was, still texting this boy who had witty sarcastic humour and a lot of really thoughtful opinions for someone who was supposed to be jaded. I also found out his first name was legally Forsythe. Not much longer after that I ended up passing out in the middle of a text, phone still in hand. It only took a few minutes for him to realize what happened and wish me goodnight like the gentleman secretly was.

At this point I was over the moon smitten, and pretty sure I was starting to fall in love with this guy. Then the thought occurred to me. Maybe I never liked Archie at all. Maybe I was in love with the lyrics, and that's why it was so easy to let the voice in front of them go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually recorded me and a friend singing Another Heart Calls back in the day.  
> Also I really appreciate all the kudos and comments I receive on here <3 you readers are the best


	7. Love Hate Lyrics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty decided to invite Jug to watch a movie with her and Veronica. Things get distant afterwards and Archie Andrews returns to save the day.

He was great, more than great, he was amazing. I had never felt this way about a boy before, like I was being lit on fire from the inside out. It made me want to spend more time with him, not just working on writing a song for Archie. I wasn't about to ask him out on a date or anything, I wasn't that bold, but I thought maybe we could watch a movie at Veronica's. I asked her about the idea and she squealed in excitement. Upon listing some of his movie preferences, she decided it had to be Breakfast at Tiffany's which was based on the works of Truman Capote.

I texted him and he agreed. We met up at Ronnie's fancy apartment where Jughead looked extremely uncomfortable. He breathed a sigh of relief once we were safely locked within the confines of her place. We plopped down on the couch, with him to my left and her to my right, and Veronica hit play.

I didn't even really watch the movie, though I tried to at least look like I did. I just kept glancing over at Jughead. There's something intensely satisfying about watching someone who is watching a movie they love. This may not have been his favorite, per se, but it came from a collection that he clearly treasured. He smiled and laughed and I thought at one part he was going to cry. He also hoarded the popcorn, but we didn't really mind.

After the movie finished, he offered to walk me home. I blushed, but I didn't say no.

The topic for the way home was superhero movies. Of all the fads in the past ten years- werewolves, vampires, zombies... superhero movies had actually stayed and become a staple in our everyday viewing. At least, Jughead thought that, though I was prone to agree. He also sad he liked batman best, but not because he was "cool" or anything. Batman was anxious about people. He did background checks. He believed he wore confidence as a mask to cover the fact that he was socially awkward. Once you have that idea of batman in your head, he seems a lot more human.

Eventually we arrived back at my place and it felt like the end of a date in a movie, where he would lean in and kiss me goodnight. He didn't. He just waved his hand and took off into the night. I knew he wouldn't, but a tiny part of me couldn't help but be disappointed.

I don't know why but he started to avoid me after the movie. Maybe I was too clingy. The rejection hurt, and maybe I could see why he said he was so set on avoiding it, but I at least deserved some warning.

After a week, I decided to spend more time with Veronica instead. We went to Pop's, our usual spot.

"Wow, you are aggressively drinking that milkshake B. I didn't even know it was possible to drink it that fast with how thick they make it. Did beaniebaby do something wrong?" I lightly glared, which was decidedly not something I excelled at.

"Let's not talk about him. Let's talk about tomorrow. Wanna see a movie? Go to the mall? Frozen yogurt? I know you love those mini cheesecake pieces they let you put in those."

"While you're right, I do, and you seem to be systematically listing off some of my favorite things, but I'm not exactly the kind of girl who likes to share space with an elephant looming in the room. Fes up." Veronica leaned in.

I shook my head, but then a shadow was cast over our table and there stood Archie Andrews, back in town for his dad's birthday.

"Ah, deus ex machina! Good afternoon, Archiekins!"

He turned to her and shot her an award winning smile "Ron." He then turned to me and I felt trapped in my seat. "Look, I know he hasn't been the most cooperative, so I'm here to take you to him. I'll even pay for the shakes. I have to fly out tonight and I have a deadline. I sort of promised a new song by the time I perform on Ellen in two weeks."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the booth, earning him a true glare from ice queen Veronica who trailed behind us.

If was obvious right away where we were headed since I walked this path regularly. It was the same one I would have used to get home later, except this time we stopped a house short in front of the Andrews residence. It actually made me a bit curious why they would choose to stay in the middle class suburbs when they could afford a mansion on Archie's new salary.

Inside we went, and I prayed to god my mom wasn't home watching from the window. I would not be allowed to have any friends ever. We stopped in front of the door to Archie's room. I knew because it was right across the way from mine.

Once the door was opened, one raven haired boy looked up at us and I was gently pushed in with the door closed behind me. I immediately swivelled to escape, but Archie mist have done something to jam the door. I slid down it in defeat and pulled my ponytail out so I could hide behind my long blonde hair.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this. He's just doing what he thinks is best." He sat on the opposite side of the room from me, his head also against the wall.

"Why would he think this is what's best?" I didn't understand what he was saying. He smirked at me.

"Because he's Archie Andrews and he's an idiot. I don't think there's much else to it, really. Alright let's get started." He walked over to the closet where his bag was and he pulled out the notebook I had given him.

"Why did you ignore me all week? Do you just not like me or something? I know you're not exactly the dating type, but is it really so hard to even just be friends with women? Or is it just me?" My voice was shakey and I could swear I heard him mutter 'shit' under his breath.

"No Betty, it's not like that. I've just got a lot going on in my life that I needed to sort through. Alone. Archie doesn't understand that, but he means well. You didn't do anything wrong, and I had a good time last week at Veronica's. Now can we please get back to work? I don't want to talk about this."

I felt like such an idiot. How big must my ego be to just assume this was all about me? So I went to him and I wrapped my arms around him. It took him half a minute but he hugged me back.

"You don't have to talk about it, but I won't judge you if you want to. We're friends." That last word stung a bit to say. To me, he was starting to become so much more than just my friend, but I respected that he didn't want anything to do with that sort of thing, especially with me.

I took out my phone and flipped to my notes. Voice trembling, I felt extremely exposed.

"Well I'm drowning in a flame, and the rivers getting higher, and the water is so sweet because it's tainted with desire."

"Wow, that's actually really good." Between the Lyrics he came up with the other day, and the ones I had written, we came up with a semblance of a song. We decided this wasn't the end, though. We were going to spruce this one up and write even more songs. Archie didn't have to know that we were finished though. We just told him we made progress and promised to not be so difficult to work with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get back to this. I have 3 multis between here and ff.net and I took a break to write a 4000+ word one shot that's supposed to a sort of Bughead Indiana Jones au. Might crosspost it here.


	8. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty accidentally stumbles upon Jughead's poetry journal. Will she be able to get him to admit who the Hitchcock blonde is?

Papers were sprawled out on the floor and if one didn't know any better, they would think these two were working on a school project. It _was_ a project, but the grades were in CD sales, radio plays, and volume of screams at a concert; not a percentage and a letter on a piece of paper.

The boy with the beanie felt frustrated with how domestic he would currently appear to the outside. Betty's mom brought up a plate of apple slices and cookies. Hal was away so she very specifically asked us to leave the door open, like most mothers did, but Betty still protested. _It's not like that, we're friends._

God he hated that. He didn't want to hate it, after all it was his goal to force her to stay at arms length, but the finality of the word was crushing. For a brief moment he considered proposing a friends with benefits scenario, God how do you even bring that up? What are the benefits? Being added to your medical?, but he knew even if Betty agreed that it wouldn't be fair to her. She deserved so much more. That was something he firmly believed, even if we wanted to go a step further. She deserved more than a fwb situation but she also deserved more than him. That level of self depreciation was half the reason for his distaste for actual romance. His heart and mind were at constant battle, and lately the winds had started to change.

xxxxxxx

I started humming as I organized the pages around me. I felt a lot of pride in being involved in this project, even if I felt the occasional sting. It was starting to wear off, I thought, and so it barely hurt when I yelled at my mom about how we were just friends and that we didn't need the door open. I told myself is was in case my dad came home that I wanted it closed, but I also knew it was more private- more intimate. These lyrics were personal and you'd have to write down a lot of your own emotions before you could translate it to a catchy love song to play on the radio. It's what made Jughead's lyrics so beautiful. The things I felt deep in my soul were things he had felt too: a universal truth.

I felt like we could write a three CD mega album with all the words sprawled on the pages. I would have been content to stay here writing with him forever. But a mind is a terrible thing, and mine never seemed to work right. I was getting feelings, no matter how hard I tried to deny them, and even as we sat there giggling and bonding, a voice in the back of my head wondered who the mystery blonde I was competing with was. Blonde wasn't exactly an uncommon colour. It could have been a lot of different people and it always bothered me.

The frustration must have got to me because the pressure from my pencil snapped the led, causing me to blush in embarrassment.

"Something up, Betts?" He glanced up from his pages at me, making eye contact.

"Whose the Hitchcock blonde? I'm sorry, it's driving me crazy and I need to know!" My hand covered my mouth as I said too much. He smirked at me.

"Are you jealous, Miss Cooper?" I looked down, refusing to make eye contact. I shook my head lightly, but I probably was. He didn't need to know that. He looked like he knew something I didn't, though. "Well she's obviously really pretty. I've always seen her around but she doesn't usually notice me. I used to prefer it that way but lately the way she smiles has me coming out of my shell a bit. Maybe dating wouldn't be the end of the world like I thought. Just because it didn't work out for my parents doesn't mean we're all doomed."

I groaned in frustration. Don't get me wrong, I was proud and happy for him, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear. "That doesn't help me figure out who she is. I wanted physical descriptions, more than blonde hair and green eyes."

"I'm sorry, I'm not ready to tell you that, Betty." He gave me that look, the one that belonged to a tortured soul, like he wanted to tell me but just couldn't do it.

"If you ever change your mind, you know you can trust me. I won't judge, I promise."

I returned to sorting and was putting some papers in his bag when I found a file folder with a couple pages in it.

_I see her through the window, like an angel in the moonlight. I tried to push away the thoughts that haunt me late at night. She's more than stars in the galaxy, a constellation in my heart, and I know that she can't love me back even if we're not far apart. Because mothers are like daughters and the history is cursed. My father said he loved her but that love brought out the worst. So second choice, I'm second choice, to the preppy boy next door. I don't think we're all our parents but I've seen it all before. And I just want to put on the brakes and let the cycle end. It's torture now to see you here and know we're only friends._

He looked over at me and froze.

They weren't lyrics, they were poetically expressed diary entries.

"You weren't supposed to see that." He spoke quietly and all the colour had drained from his face.

My throat went dry but I knew he would tell me if I asked one last time. I didn't want to be that girl, the pushy one, but I had to know. "Now will you tell me who she is?"

He sauntered over to me and grabbed the folder out of my hands. I flinched in fear; I didn't want him to be mad at me. Then the strangest thing happened.

He leaned down and kissed me.

Before it even had the chance to get started it ended, but his face remained mere inches from mine. "It's you, Betty. It was always you. I didn't want it to be you and I fought it so hard but Archie knew so he threw us together in hopes that I'd lose my resolve. How could I not, when I'm in a room with a girl who is smart and fun and pretty and can write really well-"

He was going on and on so I decided to shut him up with a kiss. I lightly kicked the door closed with my foot a mere moment before he pushed me against the wall. All of a sudden his lips were off mine but were kissing and lightly biting at my neck. I could no longer see, as there were fireworks going off in the back of my eyes. I pulled his hair, warrenting a groan. That sound pulsed through me and I pulled him even closer.

But all good things must come to an end and I could hear my mother coming so we parted and I threw on a scarf that was sitting on my dresser.

"Why is the door closed?" She looked apprehensive, almost like she knew, but I could tell that she didn't.

"The wind must have pushed it," an excuse I came up with on the spot. Fortunately for me, the window was open so it wasn't entirely implausible.

"Alright, but it is getting late. I think it's times Jones went home. Say goodbye and then get ready for dinner. Your dad will be home soon anyways and I don't want to cause a scene."

Jughead nodded and walked past her into the hallway and straight out of the house.

It was the last I would hear from him for a few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. Fires here in BC and we've all been evacuated for a while now. For the first while we were camping and the second while I was taking care of people but I have a bit more time to write now. This story is ending soon, though, obviously. Thank you for your patience!


	9. Passion Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty finds out the reason behind her favorite lyricist's disappearance from her life

There's something special about finding out all these lyrics were meant for you, especially when you fell in love with them while oblivious to that fact. All these gaps started to fill. Dancing in my cheer uniform, hairbrush karaoke, reading out an essay... How much did Jughead see through my window?

It made me blush pink just to think about and also made me be a bit more cautious about leaving the curtains open. How many times had I walked around looking for a shirt while only wearing my bra and underwear? That was embarrassing to think about. But despite all this, it just made my passion burn brighter. To some it would probably be creepy, but my window was on level with Archie's so I sincerely doubted he was checking in on me on purpose. All he had to do was see me from the corner of his eye.

But today was day three of non-response. He wouldn't visit or write or even just text back and it frustrated me to no end, making me dig my nails into my skin until I bled. I liked him and he liked me, what's so complicated about that? I had all the papers except the poetry folder that Jughead snagged on his way out the door so I emailed Archie the Songs we made. He sent me a thankful email back with a ridiculous amount of emojis. I managed to compile some of our works together to create the duet he wanted. Apparently they were going to fly Veronica out to sing it with him. She had professional singing lessons as a child so it's not as outlandish as it sounds, I promise.

A small small part of me felt jealous, a feeling I tried to let roll right off me. They were going to sing the words we felt deep within our hearts, and Jughead wouldn't even so much as speak a word to me. I curled up in a ball, biting my lip until it matched my palms, crying into my pillow. The low lighting from my lamp protected me from anyone seeing me as I was but also from the darkness that would let me sink even further.

Suddenly there came a bang and I could hear the sound of my window opening, but I didn't care to look up. I wasn't exactly a suicidal person but at this point it didn't matter to me if someone was going to break into my room and rob me.

I tried to shut my eyes and wish it to be over with when they were shook open. I instantly saw blue eyes boaring into my green ones. He looked heartbroken and his lip was split open. I instantly sat up and grabbed on to him like both our lives depended on it.

"I'm so sorry Betty. I had to figure out a few things before I could come to you. This... This is a big deal. You've popped into my world through me periphery vision since I was like thirteen. This isn't something I want to mess up so I had to deal with all my shit first. I'm sorry if you thought I didn't want. God do I ever want you." He moved a strand of hair out of my face and kissing my bleeding lip with his.

"What kind of stuff did you have to deal with? Why is your lip split?" I paused for a second. "Was it my dad?"

"No, no Betty. It was mine. The reason your mother hates the Andrews is because they've always been best friends with my family, the Jones. My dad asked Fred to keep an eye on her but apparently Alice Cooper is headstrong like her daughter. She didn't need to give any way for Fred to weasel in like a spy. You see, before my dad fell in love with my mom, he loved your mom. He couldn't make it work with either of them but he never faulted your mother for going with upward mobility. He could blame my mom, though, since she abandoned her son."

I ran my finger against the bust in his lip. "That still doesn't explain this."

"Betty... My dad, he's an alcoholic. He didn't mean to do it but when I came to talk to him about everything, he got mad. He was in love with my mom but he loved your mother. He grew up living in the trailer next to hers and she broke his heart to be with your father. The fact that I could be with the fruits of his break up put him into a rage. It's also why your dad wouldn't like me. Your mom probably still has reminents of feelings for him."

Once again tears welled up in my eyes. "That doesn't mean he should be allowed to do this to you. You did nothing to deserve this. I'm sorry... When you stopped talking to me, I was beginning to suspect the worst."

"What, that I abandoned you? I know I started this whole thing off being rude and saying I didn't want feelings or to date anyone because it would just get in the way, ruin my image. I was lying and I was wrong. I've wrote for you a million songs, darling please don't lead me on."  
"I still don't see why you're not the musician."  
"What, tortured soul angsty brooding emo kid? Definitely wouldn't hurt my rep." It felt so good to hear him try to be funny. With everything that was happening around us, we could still just be ourselves. It didn't matter that it wasn't "romantic," it was Jughead, and that's all I really needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to raptorlily for reviewing each chapter a while back. Right after that I pumped out 90% of this chapter and I just had to come up with how I wanted to end the chap. I also got the go ahead to go back home but we could be evacuated again. Probably will only get one or two more chapters out of this but we'll see.


End file.
